Railway signal torpedo



Nov. 27, 1923 1475305 F. DUTCHER RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO Filed Nov. 12 1921 lmmu,

Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

came sra'res PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF 2 NEW JERSEY.

I RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

Application filed November 12, 1921. Serial No. 514,689.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, FRANK DU'roHn-n, a citizen of the United States, residing at -Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the'accompanying drawing. I

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes comprising, an ex plosive, a container therefor, and a rail engaging member for attaching the torpedo to the rail head of a railroad track. In designing and manufacturing a railway signal torpedo there are'certain char acteristics which the torpedo must have. Among the more important characteristics which must be incorporated in the torpedo is a'water tight container for the explosive. In addition to the water tightcontainer the torpedo must be provided with a rail engaging member which is secured firmly to the explosive container and which must be capable of fastening the torpedo securely to the rail head of the rail road track.

In addition to these attributes the container, rail engaging member, and the method or manner of fastening the rail engaging member to the container must be simple and cheap of manufacture to make the device capable of marketing at a salable price.

WVith these necessary attributes of an ellicient railway signal torpedo in mind, I have discovered and invented a torpedo which will be hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to provide a torpedo of the railway explosive type, which is provided with a container comprising several folds of fibrous material, wherein the last fold is secured in a new and novel manner. y

Another object of my invention is to provide a. railway signal torpedo of the explosive type which is provided with a spring metal rail engaging member.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a railway signal torpedo wherein the last foldof'the container for the explosive isfastened in a-novel manner and is further fastened and clamped against the explosive container by the rail engaging member.

Other and further objects and improved results of my novel construction will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings F 1 is a perspective view of a railway signal torpedo constructed in accordance with my improved invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the fibrous blank which composes the container for the explosive.

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through my improved torpedo, the section being taken transversely of the rail engaging member.

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through my improved torpedo, the view being taken longitudinally of the rail engaging member.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of my improved torpedo showing the manner of fastening the final fold of the explosive container.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of my improved torpedo showing the modified form of fastening the final fold ofthe explosive container. d

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the fibre disk used in my improved torpedo invention,

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the invention and more particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings,

A designatesth fibrous blank which com poses the container for the torpedo explosive 3. This blank consists of the central portion 1 in which is formed a. depression 2 of a size and shape to carry the explosive 3, which appears in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. As clearly appears in Fig. 2 the central portion 1 of the blank A is approximately square, in its preferred form and has extending outwardly from each of its four sides th portions 4, 5, 6, and 7.

In assembling my torpedo the explosive 3, which is made preferably in tablet form and of a size and shape to fit the depression 2 of the container blank A, is placed in the depressed portion 2 of th central portion 1 of the blank A. The portions 5 and 7 of the blank are then folded inwardly upon the explosive 3, their ends abutting, as appears at 8. A water proofing cement 9 is then placed upon these inwardly folded portions.

The portion 4 of the container blank A is provided with openings 10 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

folded portions a width cement rivets 14: which aid materially in fastening this disk securely to the inwardly 5 and T and the portion 4: when the disk and the portion 41 are folded inwardly.

Just before the disk 11 and the portion 1' are folded inwardly the rail engaging member 15 is threaded through the registering openings 10 and 12 of these members. The

rail engaging member 15 is of an approximate heart shape having in its top the inwardly depressed notches or grooves 16 connected by the flat portion 17. The flat portion' 17 of the rail engaging member is of a length to fit and receive the portion 18 of the disk 11 which lies between the openings 12 of the disk while the ends 19 of the rail engaging member xtend outwardly through theportion 4E and the disk 11. The notches or grooves 16' of the rail engaging member extend through the openings 10 and 12 of these .members and hold the rail engaging member against longitudinal movement. As clearly appears in the drawings the openings in the disk 11 and the member 4 are of approximately the same as the width of the rail engaging member so as to snugly receive and hold this member against transverse movement.

Before the cement 20' between the disk 11 and the portion 4: becomes hardened the portion 6 of the container blank is folded inwardly. The portion 6 is cut away on its end to form the tongue members 21 and these tongue members are inserted between the disk 11 and the portion i and extend beneath the portions 22 of the rail engaging member. as clearly appears in F 5 of the drawings. To complete my torpedo construction the member 4' is then compressed and cemented upon the portion 6 of the container blank A which lies between it and the disk 11'.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of fastening. the tongues 21 of the portion 6'. In this form the portion; 6 lies outside and above the portion 4 of the container blank and is cemented thereto, the tongues 21 of the portion 6 extending beneath the'portions 22 of the rail engaging member as clearly appears in Figure 6 of the drawings.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the exception of the portion 17 the rail engaging member 15 lies entirely on the outside of the explosiv container. It will also be readily understood that when the rail engaging member is expanded to engage the rail head of a railroad rail, the portions 22 will straighten and tightly engage and clamp the container, thus making an even more secure lockfor' the tongue portions 21 of the portion 6 of the container blank.

Heretofore it has been the practice when using a spring rail engaging member to combine therewith the use of a metal disk. In place of this metal disk I have substituted the vulcanized paper or fibre disk 11 and have thus reduced toa great extent the possibility of injury and damag caused by flying particles of metal when the torpedo is struck and exploded.

By my construction I- have a further improvement and advantage over the torpedoes now known. IVi-th torpedoes using the metal disk the disk when once bent remainsin the bent position, thus throwing the rail engaging member out of line with the explosive container and having atendency to loosen and pull apart the inwardly folded portions of the container and thereby render the explosive more susceptible to the penetration of water or dampness. IVith my improved disk 11 a great force can be exerted in any direction upon the rail engaging member without loosening the folds of the container. In addition the rail engaging member will resume its original positionas soon as the force exerted is removed; This attribute isdue to the fact that the disk 11 of my torpedo is tough and resilient.

I also wish it to be noted that heretofore in torpedoes of the nature herein described, it has been the practice to have the rail engaging member extend outwardly from be neath the edges of the folds of the container wrapper or case. With a construction of this nature the explosive case was very often torn when stress was put upon the rail eugaging member. With the rail engaging member mounted as in my improved invenionherein, all possible danger o'ltearingthe explosive container and loosening the water proofing cement of the same is avoided.

Attention is also directed to the fact that I do not limit myself to the particular shape of the tongue members 21 as disclosed in the drawings as these tongues could be made of several different shapes and still be fully within the scope and spirit of my invention.

1. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive, a casefor the explosive consisting of several. folds of material,v a rail en'- gaging member for thetorpedo, and the final fold of the case adapted to be locked beneath the rail engaging member at two distinct points in separated relation.

2. A railway signal torpedo comprising,

of a container, aresilient disk carried between the container folds, and a spring rail engaging member carried by the container disk for fastening the torpedo to a railroad rail.

3. A container for the explosive of a railway signal torpedo or the like comprising, a blank with a cent nl portion having a depression, wing portions at the four sides of the central portion, two of the opposed wing portions adapted to fold inwardly upon the central portion, one of the remaining wing portions of a size approximately the same as the central portion and provided with two openings in alinement, a disk carried by the under side of the last named portion and provided with registering openings and the other remaining fourth wing portion of the container blank notched to form tongues at its opposite edges.

4. A railway signal torpedo comprising, an explosive, a fibrous container therefor, a rail engaging'member, and a resilient disc carried within the container, the said disc adapted to carry the rail engaging member.

5. A railway signal torpedo comprising, an explosive, a container for the explosive consisting of several folds of a fibrous material, two of the folds of the container folded inwardly upon the explosive, one of the folds of the container provided with alined openings for receiving a rail engaging member, a disk of configuration similar to the last named container fold, a rail engaging member threaded through the openings of the container portion and the disk, and the remaining fold of the container pro vided with tongues and adapted to be inserted between the disk and its cooperating container portion so that the tongues lie beneath the rail engaging member.

(3. A railway signal torpedo comprising an ex 'ilosive, a case for the explosive composed of several folds of material, a railcngaging member carried by the case, and the final fold of the case adapted to be locked beneath the rail engaging member at a point adjacent the edge of the case.

7. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive, a case for the explosive com posed of several folds of material, a railengaging member carried by the case, and the final fold of the case provided with tongues adapted to be locked beneath the rail engaging member at points adjacent the edge of the case.

8. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive, a case therefor composed of several folds of material, a rail-engaging member, a disk for retaining the rail-engaging member, the rail-engaging member threaded through openings in the disk and one of the folds of the container, and the rail-engaging member provided with stops to hold it against longitudinal movement in the openings.

9. A railway signal torpedo comprising, an explosive, a case therefor composed of several folds of material, a rail engaging moire her, and a disk for retaining the rail engagin member, the final fold of the case being ac aptedto be clamped beneath the rail engaging member.

10. A container for a railway signal torpodo explosive or the like, comprising several folds of material, a resilient disk carried between the container folds, the resilient disk provided with a plurality of openings, the several folds of the container adapted to be folded inwardly and cemented, and the plurality of openings in the resilient disk adapted to receive cement and form cement rivets therefrom to more securely hold the container folds in folded position.

11. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive, a case for the explosive composed of several folds of material, a rail engaging member threaded through openings in the case, and the final fold of the case provided with tongues adapted to be inserted beneath the rail engaging member at points between the edge of the case and the openings in the case.

12. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive, a case for the explosive composed of several folds of material, a rail engaging member threaded through openings in the case, the rail engaging member extending outwardly through the openings in the case whereby the greater portion of the top of the rail engaging member is without the case, and the final fold of the torpedo adapted to be inserted between the ease and the portions of the top of the rail engaging member which lie without the case.

13. A railway-signal torpedo comprising an. explosive, a case for the explosive composed of several folds of material, a rail-em gaging member carried by the case, and the final fold of the case adapted to be locked beneath the rail-engaging member at points adjacent the edge of the case.

14:. A container for the explosive of a railway signal torpedo or the like comprising, a blank with a central portion having a depression, wing portions at the four sides of the central portion, two of the opposite wing portions adapted to fold inwardly upon the central portion, one of the remaining wing portions provided with openings to receive a railengaging member, and the remaining fourth wing portion of the container blank notched, for the purpose described.

15. A container for the explosive of a rail way signal torpedo or the like comprising,

a blank with a central portion having a depression, wing portions at thefour sides of the central portion two of the opposite wing portions adapted to foldinwardly upon the central portion, one of the remaining wing portions provided with tWo openings, and a resilient disk carried by the under side of the last named portion, "for the purpose d'escribed.

16. A container for the explosive of a railway signal torpedo or the like comprising, gt blank with a central portion having a depression, wing portions at the four sides of the central portion,-two of the opposed wing portions adapted to fold inwardly upon the central port-ion one of the remaining two wing portions of the container blanks being notched, and said notched wing portion being the lastly folded of the wing portions and constituting the outer "fold of the torpedo container.

In testimony whereof I hereunto shit; my 2 signature.

FRANK DUTCHER. 

